Former Republican nominee for president Mitt Romney will be in town Monday to stump for Miami-Dade School Board Member
Carlos Curbelo in the latter’s bid for congressional office.
First, Romney and Curbelo will go to a Cuban bakery in West Kendall Monday afternoon to campaign with Curbelo.
But there will also be a fundraiser that night at the Grove Isle condo of Fausto and Remedios Diaz-Oliver, a Cuban American businesswoman and activist who was one of 13 members on the leadership committee of Florida’s Juntos con Romney Hispanic outreach campaign. She also contributed $2,500 to Romney’s campaign.
Remedios Diaz Oliver told Ladra that the event at her home Monday evening was closed to the press.
And, she said, she was only one of about 20 members of a committee helping Curbelo. Among the others are car moguls Mario Murgado (Brickell Motors) and Gus Machado (Gus Machado Ford).
But I guess Curbelo — who loves to cast both Democrat Rep. Joe Garcia and former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera as scandal plagued — doesn’t mind hobnobbing with confessed, convicted criminals. Not if they’re drumming up donations for his congressional bid.
Both Fausto and Remedios were charged with tax evasion and customs fraud in 1997 after she and two others who owned a food-importing firm allegedly tried to hide about $456,000 from the IRS. They also allegedly deflated the price of Spanish goods they imported by almost half — from $5.3 million to $2.8 million.
The Diaz-Olivers denied any interest in the importing business, but two years later, Fausto pleaded guilty to one felony count each of tax evasion and customs fraud. Remedios pleaded guilty to two 
misdemeanors for accessory after the fact to tax evasion and customs fraud, and received three years of probation. So she can still vote — though not for Curbelo, even though it seems she likes to gamble (Curbelo has lobbied for Genting, which wants to open a casino here).
Alas she doesn’t live in District 26.
Not that Ladra is judging their actions from 17 years ago, mind you.
Just that these are the people having a fundraiser for Curbelo, who likes to represent himself as the squeaky clean choice on the Republican primary ballot.
Mitt Romney event for Carlos Curbelo at tax evaders’ home added by Ladra on
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[…] of empty endorsements given without so much as a courtesy glance at the other candidates and because I outed the hosts of his Monday fundraiser as convicted tax cheats and because I was the first news source to report his $35,000 poll that he has kept secret, most […]
Well, Curbelo did donate $2400 to Charlie Crist and never wound up donating to Marco Rubio.
I guess Curbelo is never one to see the error of his ways.
Feldman, the only thing we need to check out “Communism Works”. I don’t know the people making comments since most of us do not use real names. But then, you check MacDougall’s record against Garcia. Remember Garcia ran several times before getting elected. This last time there was fraud.
Wow! Looks like Mac’s people are organizing to respond to this article. The problem is that the nonsense accusations about Joe Garcia are still nonsense. He is the very best candidate. And the only real way to argue this issue is by addressing his record. Check out his resolutions, his speeches and his votes.
Sam Feldman
Many of us voted Joe Martinez, or did Joe Garcia forget him too?
BTW, I noticed Joe Garcia has toned down…eliminated? his attacks on Curbelo.
Now either Garcia now recognizes Martinez or MacDougall could be the candidate or Curbelo is in bed with Garcia.
I disagree with Mr. Carlos Gonzalez’s statement that Carlos Curbelo is a snot-nosed little brat. Curbelo IS the snot (looks like one too).
The more I see it, the more I believe that history repeats itself. Remember the “Whip Party”?
I agree with most of the comments above. What is it that prominent Republicans, Ileana Ros Lehtinen and the Balart brothers are endorsing the least qualified candidate? We know Jeb is endorsing him because Curbelo is the only candidate that fell in the trap of Common Core. But now Romney, from another state, someone aspiring to run for President is also endorsing in the primary Curbelo without at least speaking with the others. Does the Republican Party thinks it is going to continue to choose who we vote for? I guess we’ll see on August 26.
It’s hard to believe that Romney, or any other public official would endorse anyone without at least looking at the other candidates. Although, politics is not hard to see through when one looks at the whole picture. Looking forward to real representation when Ed MacDougall wins this primary… #SomosUno
….so in the end am I the only one who thinks an endorsement by Romney would have the opposite desired effect?
If he had endorsed MacDougall it would have been the white guy endorsing the white guy and probably counter productive for MacDougall.
Romney clearly took on lots of baggage during his run for president and the so called negatives he attached to himself are far from the inclusive conservative message being carried by MacDougall.
So whats in it for Romney? He clearly needs to share some of the negative luggage he has constructed for himself; who better to share it with than Curbelo?
This couldn’t have been thought through by the Curbelo camp as Romney’s endorsement and visibility with him benefits MacDougall.
Coward-belo is a snot-nosed little brat that constantly trashes Joe Garcia and David Rivera (rightfully so) for being plagued in scandals, corruption and other ethical issues; however, Coward-belo himself is a far cry from being squeaky clean and above board.
His support of certain educational policies and Genting gambling, along with his nob-slobbing of political power players, as well as his own business dealings suggest he’s just as slimy as those he so frequently criticizes.
Now, the little pre-purbesenct neophyte that proclaims to be a golden boy, is hanging out with his own set of criminal misfits.
This race for FL26 is crystal clear….Ed “Mac” MacDougall is the not just the best choice….he is the only choice.
Well, to me is pretty obvious that Romney is supporting Curbelo. But he is not doing it because he believes that Curbelo is the right person for the job or even because he agrees with what Curbelo stands for. Romney is endorsing him because he believes that it will help his own cause and whatever is next in his political career, even a possible second run for the presidency. We have to remember that it was mainly the hispanic vote that prevented Romney from beating Obama. Romney must believe that no matter what happens, if he supports a hispanic, he can then say… see?? I’m totally in favor of hispanics and their concerns and needs. But how would he explain the fact that he is endorsing this guy when he didn’t even talk to any of the other candidates. Ed MacDougall has stated a couple of times that Romney never called him to discuss his or any of the other candidates to discuss their plan or project. Romney must believe that there is no way that a non-hispanic can be elected in a mainly hispanic community in South Florida. But so far, the evidence is showing different. There are more and more hispanics supporting MacDougall every day. MacDougall’s #SomosUno motto has truly resonated to me and I know it’s getting to a lot of people as something that we can all relate to. So Curbelo can have all the endorsements that he wants and have these corrupt people hosting big fund raisers for him, but he will still be just an inexperienced snob guy that is no match for Ed MacDougall.
These are just a few of the list of prominent Convicted felons that
Are mayor supporters of Candidate Carlos Curbelo.